Pneumatic-tube system



Dec. 16, 1930. w. v. McGUlNNESS PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEM Filed Jan. 20, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. Z/fli/Za'azzmws; BY

ATTORNEY Dec. 16, 1930. w. v. MCGUINNESS 1,784,963 7 PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEM Filed Jan. 20, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 f i i 42 0 /5 40 g /5 1 i M i [I X I 59 z? 4 5% i 55 i 2 HI l v INVENTOR.

7 i I 4& M, BY Z/fl%w/z/zew,

(EMWTORNEYW Dec. 16, 1930.

W. V. M GUINNESS PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEM Filed Jan. 20, 1930 3 Sheets-Shee W NEY Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT-"OFFICE WILLIAM v. MeeUI NEss, or FLUSHING, NEW YORK, AssIGNon'ro THEWESTERIT UNIO TELEGRAPH COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. YQA' CORPORATION or NEW YORK r'NEUM 'rIc-TuB E. SYSTEIE 'App 1ication fiiauanimyizo, 19ao. s mi o. 422,195.

This invention relates to pneumatic tube systems wherein tubular carriers are employed to carry messagesand the like through'transmission tubes under pneumatic 6 pressure.

In systems of this character it is desirable to keep the amount, of transmission tubing used as low as possible and to do this it is necessary to keep the number of long tubes,

tion, the carriers from a number of thesev short tube llnes'being rece ved at the main station and redispatched through a single main tube line. To do this it has been necessary to employ the services of an attendant v constantly, since the branch tubes could not open directly into the main tube without liability of a carrier from the branch tube and a carrier moving in the main tube colliding and jamming the tubes.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a novel and eflective arrangement for controlling the passage of carrier's from branch tubes into a main tube so that possibility of collision and jamming will be eliminated; to provide anovel' arrangement of gathering head or chute wherefrom the-maintube leads and whereto branch tubes having carrier stops connect, the branch tubes being provided with carrier stops for opening but one tube at a time for the'passage of a carrier to thechute; and to provide a simple means foroperating the carrier stops of such branch' tub'es in sucs ss o With the aboveand other objects in view the invention will now be described in detail and then specifically claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing an embodiment "of the invention;

,ig r 2 i an enlarged e i ll O th i e 2of Figure 1;

of these nipples.

3-'8 of Figure 2; V

Figure 3 is a-sectional'viewon the line of Figure 2; r

Figure 5 is a similar view on the line 5'-5 of Figure 2; 1

Figure 6 is a detail section on the line 6;6 of Figure '2.

While I have illustrated four ,branchstation tubes feeding' to a single tube it will be obvious that, by slight modifications any de- Figure .4 is a detail section on the line sired number of br'anch station tubes may deliver to a singletube, the same principles being used in each case. 7 It is, thereforefto be understood that in any reference made herein to four branch station tubes, norestrlctlon to thls number 1s meant or isto be understood.

In this embodiment there is illustrated a multiple union, consisting of a plate or disk 1' 10 having adjacent its periphery equally spacedfupwardly extending hollow bosses 11 and falined downwardly extending hollow bosses 12, the alined bosses being bored through from top to bottom and the bores being provided with shouldered countersunk extremities. Branch station tubes 13 are fitted in the upper boss-es 11 and nipples 14 are fitted in the lowerbosses and extend downwardly therefrom. Union sleeves 15 are fitted on the'lower ends of these tubes 14 and receive the upper ends of nipples 16, which have their lower ends provided with perforations 17. The bottoms of these nipples 16'. are bevelled and are each normally closed by a downwardly opening flap valve 18. Suction, heads 19 surround the perforated portions 17 of the nipples 16 and vacuum pipes 2Q lead from these heads to a suitable vacuum pump (not shown).

Tapered housings 21 lead downwardlyfrom the suction heads, the valves 16 being housed therein, and nipples 22 lead from the lower ends ofthese housings to union sleeves 23. A base plate 24 is located beneath the sleeves 23 and nipples 25 are mounted on this base plate whichis provided with suitable shoul- An inverted substantially conical carrier collector chute 27 is secured by its base to the plate 24, the wall of this chute surrounding the openings 26, while centrally of this chute is an inverted conical guide 28 also secured by its base to the plate 24. This guide prevents the carriers C from moving to take a posit-ion across the chute. A sleeve 29 connects the lower end of this chute to a nipple 30 which has its lower end connected to a housing 31, wherein is a flap valve'132 normally closing the lower end of'thenipple 30. A transmission tube 33 leads fromthe housing 31 and has air admission perforationsor ports 34 formed near thehousing. This tube leads to a main receiving station andis there provided with a receiving head 35. A

A bearing box 36 projects upwardly from the center of the disk 10 and a similar bearing box 37 projects downwardly from the disk in alinement with the box 36. Ball bearings 38 p are mounted in these boxes and are held in position by caps 39. A shaft 40 extends through the disk 10 centrally thereof and is supported inthe ball bearings38, this shaft being provided just above the lower ball hearing with a thrust collar 41 to take the down- -ward thrust of the shaft, A worm wheel 42 isfixed on this shaft for'engagement by a worm 43 driven by a suitable motor 44. Adjacent each of thebosses 11 isa radially disposed guide 45 wherein a plunger 46 is slidably mounted for radial movement with respect to the shaft 40. A cam disk 47 is keyed orotherwise fixed onthe shaft 40 just below the plungers 46 and is provided with a cam extending around the disk adjagroove 47 cent its periphery. The greater portion of this groove is concentric to the shaft 40 but for a short distance the groove 47 is offset toward the shaft, this part constituting what may be termed the active portion 48 of the cam. It will be noted that there is but one such active portion 48 and the arcuate extent of this portion is less than the arcuate distance between adjacent branch tubes. A

cam roller 49 is mounted beneath the inner end of each plunger. 46 and engagesin the cam groove so thatrotation of thecam effects successive movement of the several plungers, first inwardly and then outwardly.

Because of the shortness of the active portion, of the cam groove, only. one plunger is movedfrom its outer or normal pos1t1on at a time and eachplunger is restored to its normal position. prior to actuation of the next successive-plungen A stop housing, 50 is mounted on each tube 13 and a stop shaft 51 is j ournalled in the side walls of this housing and lies at. right angles to the respective plunger with one end projecting from, the

' housing to a position above theouter endof on the shaft within its housing and projects upwardly and normally outwardly from the shaft. A stop arm 55 is provided with a downwardly extending pair of bearing legs 56 which straddle the rock arm 54 and support the'arm 5 5 revolubly on the shaft 51. A coiled spring 57 has its ends fixed respectively to the rock arm 54 and stop arm 55 so that movement of the plunger 46 inwardly by the cam will rock the stop arm outwardly and outward movement of the plunger will tend to rock the stop arm inwardly. Astop ering chute and from there into the transmission tube. Thus, interference-of the .carriers with each other and consequent jamming. of-the system is prevented. I I

-The purpose ofthe spring 57 is to permit the rock arm 54 to move to normal position in case a carrier happens to be opposite the slot 59at atime when such movement takes place so that the stop 58 engages thesideof the carrier. Under. such circumstances the spring yields and no damage is done, either to the I carrier or to any part of the stop mechanism.

stricted to the exact form and construction shown herein for purposes of illustration and that various changes and modifications Willi be obvious to engineers familiar with pneumatic tube systems. A

I claim: v v

1. In a pneumatic tube system, a plurality of. transmission tubes, a collector chute to which said tubes lead, a single tube leading from said chute, and means governing the passage of carriers through the plurality of tubes and arranged to, permit carriers from only onetube to enter-the chute at a time.

2.; In a pneumatic tube system, a set of transmission tubes, a collector chute to which the tubes .of the set lead, a single tube leading from saidcollector chute, carrier stopseac normally extending into a respective tube. of said set, and means for successively withdrawing and replacing said stops.

3. In a pneumatic tube system, ,a set 0 transmission tubes,a collector chute to which the tubes of the set lead, a single tube leading from said collector chute, carrier stops each normally extending .into a respective tube of said set, a rotating cam member having asingle active portion and operative con nections between sa1d stops and cam mem- It is obvious that my invention isnot reber whereby the stops are successively withdrawn and replaced.

4. In a pneumatic tube system, a collector chute, a plurality of tubes leading thereto and normally closed against the passage of carriers, and means for alternately opening and closing said tubes in succession against the passage of carriers.

5. In a pneumatic tube system, a collector chute, a plurality of tubes leadingthereto and normally closed vagainst the passage of carriers, and means for alternately opening and closing said tubes in succession and arranged to close each tube-against the passage of car riers prior to opening the next tube.

6. In a pneumatic tube system, an inverted substantially conical chute having a delivery opening at its apex, a plurality of pneumatic e tubes leading to the base of said chute and opening into the chute, carrier stops each as, V sociated with a respective tube and normally positioned to stop a carrier moving throughv said tube, and means to move said stops from and to normal position in'succession.

7. In a pneumatic tube system, an inverted substantially conical chute having a delivery opening at its apex, an inverted conical guide coaxial with said chute and having its base in the plane of the base of the chute,

a plurality of pneumatic tubes opening through the base of the chute around the. guide, carrier stops each associated With a respective tube and normally positioned to stop a carrier moving through said tube, a rotating cam member having a single active portion and operative connections between said cam member and said stops, said active cam portion being arranged toengage said connections singly in succession.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM V. MOGUINNESS. 

